For people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), fatigue can be a debilitating symptom that interferes with daily life and significantly reduces quality of life. Managing fatigue can be difficult; it is linked to disease activity and a host of other conditions that commonly accompany RA, such as depression, sleep problems and obesity. A new study, however,…
When Harry Spiera, MD, stepped out of the New York University School of Medicine in 1958, rheumatology was in its infancy. Obviously, much has changed for both the physician and the specialty over the 58 years between then and his recent retirement. “Early on, rheumatology was the most clinical of the specialties, because the science…
Note: Updated May 2, 2018, to correct a link in the reference section. The error was introduced in editing. A 44-year-old Caucasian woman presented to the outpatient rheumatology clinic that had followed her for several years for rheumatoid arthritis. She was compliant with her regimen of hydroxychloroquine, etanercept and salsalate. Her chief complaint was worsening…
The year was 1978. I was a newly married, 25-year-old registered nurse working on a medical unit at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, Wis. I began to notice morning stiffness, increasing fatigue, and bilateral heel and ankle pain. Every step hurt as I walked down the halls to care for my patients. My diagnosis was…
A 58-year-old African American woman with a past medical history of hypertension (HTN), hyperlipidemia, severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath (SOB) and progressive bilateral lower extremity swelling for three weeks. She denied any chest pain, but endorsed generalized fatigue and dyspnea…
Canakinumab may be a useful first-line treatment for renal transplant recipients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), according to recent research. Immunosuppressive drugs can interact with colchicine, the standard first-line treatment for FMF, and increase the incidence of side effects, such as diarrhea and myopathy…
Potential federal drug pricing proposals could shuffle Part B drug coverage into the Part D program and restructure reimbursements for new drugs, moves that would jeopardize patient access to care, explains Kent “Kwas” Huston, MD, a rheumatologist in Kansas City, Mo., and a member of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC). “We believe Part D…
Amar Majjhoo, MD, had just completed his rheumatology fellowship in 2005 when he attended his first meeting of the Michigan Rheumatism Society. “I thought it was exciting that we had a state society, because to me, everything was new,” says the Michigan-based, private practice rheumatologist. “Having a meeting where established doctors were sitting around was…
Whether he is teaching rheumatologists how to leverage technology tools in their practice or working with the ACR’s Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC) to connect members with practice knowledge and support, Suleman Bhana, MD, FACR, a rheumatologist with Crystal Run Healthcare in Middletown, N.Y., is focused on connecting with his colleagues to improve patient care….
The FDA has expanded the label for insulin degludec to include data on improved cardiovascular outcomes and deceased severe hypoglycemia…